Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann met with more than 100 young adults at the Trust One Greater event June 16 at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kan. The evening included a question-and-answer session with the archbishop, eucharistic adoration, as well as social time following the event.

Archbishop meets with young adults

by Katie Hyde
katie.hyde.theleaven@gmail.com

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — It’s absolutely true. Good times can become great times if God is among the invited.

The proof of this could be found at the Trust One Greater event on June 16, which was led by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann. It was a great success, according to Matt Karr, lead consultant for the archdiocesan office of evangelization and Catholic formation of adults.

Approximately 125 young adults attended the event held at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kan. The event was designed to bring youth ages 18 – 35 together with God and with each other.

“For our first time doing something like this, it went really well,” Karr said. “Young people really appreciated it. It was great to get the opportunity to gather and to pray.”

The evening began with prayer and a Q-and-A session with the archbishop. It also included a testimony by Joe Yanko, who is battling a brain tumor; music by Jeremy and Molly Aranda; and eucharistic adoration, led by the Little Sisters of the Lamb.

According to Father Harry Schneider, pastor of the Cathedral of St. Peter, providing a social aspect was also very important to the evening.

Following adoration, the group moved outside to white tents set up for the occasion, where local vendors provided Mexican food and ice cream. Many participants, including Archbishop Naumann, stayed until 11 p.m.

Young adulthood, said Karr, is a critical time for Catholics to witness the life of the church and to invite them to participate in that life.

“It is hard for young adults to know one another,” Karr said. “Now there is somewhere where they can build relationships with each other in the church.”

Cosponsors of the event included the archdiocesan office of evangelization and Catholic formation of adults and MissionKC, a collaboration between the archdiocese and St. Paul’s Outreach, based in West St. Paul, Minn. MissionKC works to involve and engage youth in the church. The Cathedral of St. Peter also played a role in hosting the event.

“We really wanted to stress that it was a diocesan event, for young people in the archdiocese,” said Father Schneider. “We specifically wanted the cathedral to host the event because it is the mother church of the diocese.”

The event is the first of several similar events that will be held in the upcoming months within the archdiocese. The next Trust One Greater event is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 9.

“The only way to engage young adults is to get your hands dirty and meet them,” Karr said. “It is important they are recognized as a group. It is important to Jesus and to the church.”